"Business of Law: With a slowing economy, M&A attorneys turn to international firms," Miami Daily Business Review, April 25, 2008.

The slowing economy has deflated the number and size of merger and acquisition deals handled by South Florida lawyers, with the fact that merger and acquisition activity has slowed nationally. Hunton & Williams LLP, on the other hand, is just the opposite.

Speaking about the firm's merger and acquisition activity to Miami Daily Business Review, Fernando Alonso was quoted saying:"We’re just the opposite. The last quarter of 2007 was my firm’s busiest and the pace is exceedingly busy this year." "Although the firm may eventually feel the effects of a slowdown, it remains active in dealmaking," he said.

“I can’t necessarily explain why we’ve been fortunate, but I don’t take it for granted,” Alonso said. “If there’s a general slowdown we will be affected. We’re just not seeing it yet, " he added.

He added that: "Much of the growth in corporate deals seen by the firm is coming from European firms. In terms of our Miami office, the M&A activity has not so much come from Latin America. We have this unusual European spike in business. The euro has improved dramatically."

Alonso is a partner in the Miami office of Hunton & Williams LLP and chair of the Latin America practice group. He has practiced in the corporate and securities, banking and international fields for more than 20 years.